Page 29 of My Ex's Brothers

“What are you doing, Dane?” I ask calmly. I swallow, the nerves getting the best of me. I stare at the flowers. They’re daisies. My favorite.

He looks at me softly before he says, “Taking care of you.”

“I didn’t ask you to?—”

“You don’t have to, Amelia. That’s the thing. You shouldn’t have to ask for the basics, because you deserve so much more than what he…” He sucks in a breath. “I know it’s not the same. But his actions broke us too, you know.”

I have to turn away, the tears threatening to spill out.

“You just deserve better, Amelia. You both do.” He gets up, and I think he’s going to put Lyla back in her jumper, but he doesn’t. He walks over to me, pulling me close with one arm, and I close my eyes. I breathe in his cologne, lean into his warmth.

The tears come without warning, and within a moment, I feel his hand on my back, rubbing up and down.

“It’s okay,” he says, his voice soft, tinged with his own emotion. I want to push him away. To tell him this…this is not how it should have gone. I shouldn’t even be here, like this. But…

I open my eyes, glancing up at him. “No, it’s not. It sucks,” I say, and he gives me a half-hearted grin.

“You know what I think you need?” he asks.

“What?” I ask through tears and laughter.

“We’ve got a game next week. I think you should come. Get out and breathe some fresh air. Have some fun.”

He leaves me in my chair, heading down the hall, and I know exactly where he’s headed. I get up without thinking, following him to Lyla’s room. I hold myself tight as I stand in the doorway, watching him lay her in her crib.

She’s out like a light.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Dane.”

“Why not?” he asks, sliding his hands into his pockets. He leans against the opposite side of the doorframe, bracing one hand out to prop himself up. The motion puts him over top of me, but not in a menacing way. If anything, it strangely settles my racing heart. He looks down at me, and I swallow harshly as my gaze dips to his mouth before finding his eyes.

The words are sharper than they should be, and I hate myself for saying them, but they’re the truth.

“Because…”

“Don’t you dare say it’s because ofhim,” Dane says sternly. “Because that’s bullshit.”

I cross my arms. “No, it’s not, you’re?—”

“I’m not Dex,” he says, pushing off the frame and leaning closer to me. His cologne smells good, and his looming stature makes my entire body flush with heat.

“No, you’re not,” I say, but looking at him right now, my brain and my heart are in disagreement. It’s torture, looking at him, like this, knowing the way my body responds of its own accord.

“Then stop looking at me like I am.”

It’s my turn to step closer to him, but I can’t take my eyes off of him.

“I can’t help it, Dane,” I tell him. “I just…” I swallow nervously as his gaze holds mine. He pushes some hair behind my ear and my entire body reacts with a shiver. “I kind of swore off hockey.” Among…other things. Like very hot, very identical twin brothers who make my pulse race.

He smirks. “It’s just a game, Mia.” But the way he says the words, the way he says my name…I know it’s not.

I lean into his touch, unable to help myself. There’s a sort of magnetism between us that feels impossible to fight.

But I know I should. I really, really should.

Because not only is Dane a hockey player, he’s my ex’s brother…

But that didn’t stop me from kissing Tripp…

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